Spa Numakura

The big windows look out onto a pretty garden, but houses are close by, and I wondered if people on the second floor could see into the bath. I’m sure they’ve taken precautions, but it still made me uncomfortable. The bath also left me disappointed: I’d hoped to try both a hot and a lukewarm tub, but there’s a hole low in the divider, so water flows between them. It didn’t seem like the temperatures were being adjusted or checked. The place was very clean and the entrance had a lovely feel. Admission seemed a little expensive at ¥1,000 for adults and children alike, though it includes either Jersey milk or a towel. From the entrance, the hotter tub at around 42°C is on the left and the cold bath is on the right. Some staff didn’t greet customers. There are so many good hot springs in the area that I found this a bit of a letdown.

The young couple who took over as the fourth-generation owners renovated the inn a few years ago. It feels clean and has room to grow, and they made it feel friendly rather than intimidating. I came to celebrate my retirement, enjoy the hot springs, and do absolutely nothing for a while. Set among beautiful nature, it felt like a formal visit to my Japanese hometown. There’s hot water straight from the source as well as a lukewarm bath suitable for small children. Two Nordic-style barrel saunas sit in a spacious inner garden that blends into the surrounding landscape, where pheasants sometimes show up to claim their territory. Both the inn and baths were busy with day visitors. Dinner was hearty, and I enjoyed it with the recommended local sake. Breakfast also used local ingredients. There don’t seem to be modern tourist attractions nearby, so I’d suggest this place to hot spring fans and more experienced visitors who can make their own fun. It’s a 500-mile round trip from Tokyo, and a day trip could be fun for a well-behaved racer. There’s a lot of sulfur in the air, so be careful with silver jewelry.

I went for a day soak and got a drink voucher. After my bath, I used it for coffee and juice for my child. There are two indoor baths, one hot and one lukewarm, with quite a big gap in temperature. It’s nice that children have a bath they can enjoy.

Renovated in March 2023, this long-running inn in Kawatabi Onsenkyo has a quiet feel, lots of wood, and only a few rooms. The greenish-green hot spring water has a light sulfur smell, and there’s a sauna too. Meals feature seasonal seafood and mountain ingredients, with a good range of Miyagi local sake to go with them.